Supporting frame for postage



Jan. 3, 1950 H. F. FORD SUPPORTING FRAME FOR POSTAGE METERS 4 SheetsSheet 1 Filed June 26, 1948 n mqm. l

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SUPPORTING FRAME FOR" POSTAGE METERS Filed June 26, 1948 4 Sheets-Shae?) 2 A itorney 5 Jan. 3, 1950 H. F. FORD SUPPORTING FRAME FOR POSTAGE METER-S Filed June 26, 1948 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Inventor fliimg; EMA/as A320 Attorney;

Jan. 3; 1950 H. F. FORD 2,493,188

SUPPORTING FRAME FOR POSTAGE METERS Filed June 26, 1948 V 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 In ve n for 490mm flaw/s 5,

y mgwfig A Home y 5 Patented Jan. 3, 1950 UNITED SUPPORTING FRAME FOR POSTAGE IVIETERS Harold Francis Ford, Clrencester, England Application June 26, 1948, Serial No. 35,456 In Great Britain April 8, 1947 2 Claims. 1

This invention relates to machines for printing and issuing pre-paid postage or revenue stamps, labels, tickets and the like and to the kind wherein printing is effected by a rotary element which after making contact with an inking device cooperates with pressure means to print on a strip of paper drawn from a supply roll and to eject the printed portion to a position where it can be detached. Machines of this general character are well known for use in issuing tickets on passenger vehicles, an example being that described in the prior United States Patent Specifications Nos. 1,920,085 and 2,137,915.

The object of the present invention is to provide improvements in the construction and arrangement of a machine having the general features indicated in the preceding paragraph, such improvements being designed to enable adhesive stamps for parcel post purposes, pre-paid tickets, price labels and similar articles to be issued. To adapt the machine for these purposes, certain features such as stage and class printing mechanism and associated parts are eliminated.

According to the invention a machine for printing and issuing stamps, labels, tickets or the like of the kind above described is characterised by a stationary framework in which the operative part of the machine is detachably mounted, a single hand operated setting device to adjust the value printing die to any one of a predetermined range of values, and counting mechanism to record only the total value and total number of the stamps or other articles issued.

Reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings which show a machine constructed according to the invention and in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the complete machine and its support,

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the machine,

Fig. 3 is a plan corresponding to Fig. 2,

Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the machine partly in section,

- Fig. 5 is a detail view of the counter mechanism, and

Fig. 6 shows representation of two stamps issued by the machine.

The construction illustrated is that of a machine for printing and issuing adhesive stamps for parcel post purposes and comprises the operative part of the machine enclosed within a casing I which is removably mounted in a supporting frame 2 carried upon a base plate 3 capable of being affixed to the surface of a desk or post oflice counter.

Within the casing l are mounted a rotary printing element 4 and a pressure roller arranged to co-operate therewith in known manner; an inking device 5 disposed adjacent the printing element; counting mechanisms 6, 1, 8 for recording respectively the values in shillings and pence and the total number of stamps issued, the counters being duplicated at 6a, 1a and 8a for checking purposes and to provide against the failure of a counter; and transmission mechanism for adjusting the value die in the printing element and for adjusting the position of the actuating means for the counters to accord with the value of the stamp to be printed.

A paper supply roll 9 is disposed freely Within a chamber ill forming an extension of the supporting frame 2 and having a transparent wall II to enable the user of the machine to see when the paper supply is approaching exhaustion. The transparent wall II is removable to enable an exhausted paper spool to be removed from the chamber Ill. The upper ends of the side walls of the chamber H] are shaped to engage an extension 12 of the casing l which is formed with a slot on its underside through which the free end of the paper strip enters the extension I2, passes between the printing element and pressure roller and, following the course indicated in broken lines in Fig. 2, emerges through an opening 13 where it projects as a printed stamp as shown at 14 in Fig. 1. The stamp can be detached by tearing it along the blade I5 having a serrated edge disposed parallel to one edge of the opening I3. When the paper spool becomes nearly exhausted its weight becomes insufficient to maintain the paper strip taut and it would tend to enter the machine and no longer be visible. To prevent this happening there is provided within the chamber In a plate I6 hingedly mounted at H and caused to bear at its free end upon the surface of the paper strip, as shown in Fig. 2, by a spring l8 whose end bears upon the underside of the plate l6.

The machine enclosed within the casing i is freely supported by the upper edges of the frame 2 and is retained thereon against displacement by forming the upper rear portion 19 of the frame as a component movable about hinges 20 arranged, when in the position shown in Fig. 2, to overlap partly the casing l and to be held in that position by hooks 2| engaging eyes 22 projecting from the ends of the frame portion l9. To prevent displacement of the casing l relatively to its support a bar 23 connected by a spring 24 to the base plate 3 is formed with a slot to engage over a stud 25 on the casing l. A

bent portion 26 at the upper end of the bar 23 enables it to be lifted against the resistance of the spring 24 to disengage it from the stud 25 when it is desired to detach the casing I from the frame 2.

The rotary printing element 4 has a variable value printing die which is set to print the value required by op rating a finger dial 21 mounted on the front upper part "of the casing I. Around the peripheral portion of the dial are circular apertures 28 adjacent each of which is marked one of the values which the machine is designed to print. The dial 2? is mounted on a short shaft'29 the lower end of which carries a toothed pinion 30 meshing with a rack bar 3| slidably mounted guides 32 and arranged at one end to be engaged by means carried by the printing'ele nen fi t iv althe end of its rotation to service the setting mechl anism. The rack bar also carries a yoke 33 to adjust the position of toothed discs 34; 35 and 4]) along a shaft 36 to transmit appropriate impulses to the counters; The extent of movement imparted to the value'printing die and the discs 34', 35 and 40 is controlled by a stop 31 by which the finger of the operator is arrested after partial rotary movement of the dial 2'! has been effected.

The discs 34 and 3? are arranged to operate the pence counters I and la and each disc bears a number of teeth appropriate to one of the pence values which the machine is arranged to' print. One of the discs becomes operative when a pence value onlyv is to be printed. When "a one shilling stamp is being printed" plain disc'38 comes opposite the toothed wheels 39' which operate the counters 1 and use that no movement is transmittedto them, while tli e shilling disc 40 operates theto'othed wheels q 'o'f the shulings counters 6 and B d When combinedshilling and pence values are being printed one of the discs 35'beco ne'sjoperative to actuate thetoothed wheels I. and (a and one of the discs 4Q is moved into position to actuate the toethed wheels ll of; the counters G and ea. In all positionsa strilger 42fcarried by the'printing'felement 41 operates the toothed wheels'43 of the counters 8 and 8a which record the total number. of stamps issued by the machine! 1? isc-iii; nd 3 are l tteqfas showr'i'at 44 in Fig' i'fto pass 0 er a fixed comb plate 45 w h. teams eadju m nt. of e. i c aldng'theshft Tam l ha haf has can: pleads; rotation to print an 1 8166 i Stamp from thlnachin e, 7' I. Y" w e with. mi nla d Par el Dashes rates the range of values ma'y,commence at" 'inrease by nits ii 2 s? 1 e /5st. thereby s w re talli wh qh nqli dss postage plus registration ratesfa's well as postage any; lllternativelyi and according t particular requirements! he w b n marl e. a ra d a print any 'selected'twelve values from 1d to. lI/lld. 'The finger dial a'ncl the corresponding variable printing die are normally. arranged so that in the normal rest position, tickets ofthe,

lowest valuewill be printed. The dialfas sh'own is. arranged'so that itis temporarily retained in a selected position to enable number. of stamps all of the same valu e'tobe issued. elternatively, the dial can'be arrangedfon automatic return to initial position' after each individual i sue. I stead of the dial the value settingv effected by a crankedha ndle, layer. or any other deviee capable Q s ng' m re is? n it n m r If; e d cs i n .apdv smpr mcnt rans:

a e oth a ue die- The indications given by the counters can be observed through windows 46 (Fig. 5) disposed in apertures in the casing l.

The operation of printing and ejecting a stamp is effected by rotating a handle 4'! projecting from one end of the machine and mounted on the end of the shaft 36, the handle being provided with release and stop means to compel a complete rotation once rotational movement of the handle has been commenced. This release and stop means is preferably that described in our coneurrent application No. 598,938.

"To enable a fresh spool of paper to be inserted a hinged door '88 is provided on the casing I having a quick look and release closure device which operates under the pressure of a spring also utilised tofbear upon and guide the paper strip. This arrangement eliminates any necessity for threading the paper strip into the machine.

Examples of stamps which can be produced by the machine above described are shown in Fig. 6,. In these stamps there are only two variable elements, the first being the date at as the die for printing which is adjusted daily by hand, and the second being the value which in one stamp illustrated is a pence value shown at 50 and in the second illustration a combined shilling and pence Value shown at 5|.

- I claim:

1. A casing construction adapted for the de-. tachable mounting of a unitary stamp printing and issuing machine in a fixed location, said unit machine comprising a body part having extended side portions with a special contour, said casing comprising a base, a hollow box-like body part upstanding from said base, said body part haw. ing a front end wall and a rear end wall and a top opening into which the unit machine is pass,- able, said casing also having left and right side walls, said side walls having bearing surfaces cut into their upper edges to a contour which matches the contour of the extended sides of said body part, said body part being adapted to be supported upon said bearing surfaces to support the unit machine in said, opening in transversely extend; s r ation e w n t aid S de Wa amp: ing section swingably incorporated in the said rear end wall, for movement towards and awayfrom said opening, said swingable section comprising a top portion defining a transversely ex-. tending edge portion adapted, in the inwardly swung position of the section, to lie in overlying;

er portion of the machine unit located withip the casing in anenvelopingmanner whileleaving the remaining upper exposed machine portion available for. the operation thereof, and latch, means on said casing adapted for releasable engage:

ment with said machine. unit to hold the, unit firmly positioned upon the casing. for itsrequired operating functions.

'2. A, combination machineunit and casing con struction as defined in claim 1 wherein saidflatch.

means p s a n a. r n n cting; ne. end. of said bar with the baseof the casing in; spaced relation to the outside of thefront casing wall, and co-operable connecting means; on the 5 6 front of the machine unit and the opposite end of the said bar adapted for engagement with one UNITED STATES PATENTS another to hold the machine unit resiliently down Number Name Date into operative position on top of the said casing. 833,927 Hendricks Oct. 23, 1906 HAROLD FRANCIS FORD, 5 1,101,565 Rice et a1 June 30, 1914 1,530,852 Pitney Mar. 24, 1925 REFERENCES CITED 1,943,473 Friedrichs Jan. 16, 1934 2 124 383 Wheeler Jr. et a]. July 19 1938 The following references are of record in the me of this patent: 2,230,444 Balster Feb. 4, 1941 10 OTHER REFERENCES Ser. No. 314,407, Mercier (A. P. C.), published May 25, 1943. 

